Prohibited and Restricted Items

Prohibited itemscannot be sent via the postal service under any circumstances. These items will be seized by customs and may be destroyed.

Restricted itemscan be sent via the postal service, but must comply to very strict guidelines.

A comprehensive list of Prohibited and Restricted items can be found directly on the NZ Post Website.

It is your responsibility to check whether an item is Prohibited or Restricted.

What may appear harmless to you at first glance, may still be Prohibited or Restricted. Importantly, acceptance of the item by us for sending does not free you of this responsibility.

If you are unsure if the item you wish to send is prohibited or restricted, please contact the NZ Post National Contact Centre on 0800 501 501.

The New Zealand Government prohibits or restricts the export of various types of items (such as prescription medication). You must ensure that your item is not prohibited from export or that you meet any export restrictions on the item you are planning to send. For further information, contact the New Zealand Customs Service or the appropriate government authority.

If NZ Post finds a Prohibited item it will not be delivered and we will not refund postage costs. NZ Post is not obliged to return the item to you but may; at their discretion, and at your cost:

make the item safe;

return the item to you by a licensed dangerous goods carrier or security firm;

*Depending on where you want to send these items, their value, or what service you use, you may be able to send these marked items.

PLUS

Illegal items: any item that is illegal or prohibited by law or any authority whether in New Zealand or the destination country; any item that is prohibited by a United Nations sanction - for further details refer to United Nations Security Council Sanctions.

Dangerous items: any item that is capable, as packaged, of causing injury to people or damage to property

Inadequately packaged items: any item that is not sufficiently packaged to withstand a 1.2m drop

Fragile items: regardless of how it is packaged*

Perishable items: any item that may spoil or decay, or has an expiry date of less than 6 months from the date of sending

Restricted items: any item that is classified as Restricted under our terms and conditions where you have not complied with the conditions of carriage for that item

1. Firearm parts are any piece of a firearm that is designed or intended to be a part of a firearm, regardless of whether it is in working condition. Firearm parts include, but are not limited to, the breech/chamber, stock/butt, magazine, silencer, barrel, bolt and trigger assembly.

2. Jewellery is any object that is typically worn for personal adornment (such as bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, watches, cuff links, etc) which is made of precious stones or metals

3. Additional restrictions apply for international services-for details refer to the conditions of carriage of Restricted items below.

Sending Restricted Items

We recommend that you check the NZ Post Prohibited and Restricted Items page for more information. Items listed under the heading of restricted can be sent internationally, but must comply with very specific requirements.

A maximum of two Lithium-ion batteries per parcel is allowed (meaning you cannot send more than two mobile phones in any single package), providing the special packaging requirements detailed below are met. These items MUST be posted using the International Express postal service.

Each Lithium-ion battery - maximum 100 Watt-hours.(Batteries for most consumer devices are likely to be under this limit eg. mobile phones, laptops, tablet computers, cameras etc. The Wh rating will be printed on the battery or may be stated in the device manual).

The device must be switched off and packaged so that it can not move around or be accidentally activated during transport.

The device with battery must be in strong external packaging to withstand a 1.2m drop.